Back to The MINER Act of 2006 and Related NIOSH Activities

Overview

Due to its explosive properties, methane gas is one of the most important safety concerns for the underground coal miner. Methane emissions are generally controlled by using ventilation airflow to dilute and render harmless dangerous accumulations of this gas. This is especially important in active mining areas where a potential exists for frictional ignitions. The variability of gas emissions, however, can add significant complexity to its control in an underground mine environment. Variable geologic conditions and gas reservoir parameters combined with changes in mine design, such as larger dimension longwall panels and introduction of higher productivity mining equipment, all contribute to changing methane emission rates. The ability to predict or anticipate these variations allows the mine operator to address the problem of increased emissions in advance of mining.

NIOSH ventilation research will improve methane control in underground coal mines by developing face emissions monitoring methods and methane source characterization techniques. These techniques will enable mine operators to predict methane emissions for longwall and room and pillar mining operations employing increased face advance rates, increased longwall panel sizes, more extensive gateroad developments, and greater working depths. Advances in longwall and room and pillar mining can challenge current methane control system designs, resulting in increasingly large volumes of coalbed gas entering longwall and continuous miner sections. This work will also improve techniques for monitoring and controlling methane liberated in face areas and will identify factors that increase the risk and severity of frictional ignitions.

NIOSH Projects and Activities

• Design Guidelines for Mine Ventilation Stoppings
• Face Methane Ignition Hazards, Recognition, and Response
• Improving Methane Control Practices in Coal Mines
• Mine Explosion Prevention
• Reservoir and Neurosimulation-based Control of Methane

References